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toming out completely. She sighed. Two seconds later, Dr. Jennings voice came
over the tinny speaker, Please hold absolutely still, Ms. Darcy! Thank you!
Finally, it was over. The five, subject and four testers, were seated around the
metal desk piled with strip charts, paper-clipped stacks of printouts, and manila
folders with colorful tabs. Dr. Chen scanned a clipboard.
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Much of what we found you probably already know, Ms. Darcy, he said.
Your reaction times are, by our standards, extraordinary. Your vital signs are
within our norms, though they are those of a conditioned athlete. I refer to heart
rate, which is exceptionally slow, and so forth. Your heart is roughly 50% larger
than would be expected, but not unprecedented in a very few athletes. Your
metabolism is exceptionally efficient, as is the oxygenation coefficient of your red
corpuscles. Those were no doubt factors in your endurance events.
Some of our data cannot be interpreted yet, of course. Your DNA, for exam-
ple, is likely to be a matter of scientific and medical study well into the future.
Other data, on metabolism, to mention one category, will take some analysis
before conclusions can be drawn.
Other findings may be news to you. Your reports of your chronological age
do not tally with our medical estimation of same. (He actually said same. )
You have been alive for something like 93 earth years, according to your own
testimony. Yet we find from studying your bone mass, glandular tissue, and cen-
tral nervous system that your effective age matches that of the typical person in
her 30s. You are a normal, fertile female, with all the proper functions. And,
somewhat to our surprise, you have no bodily anomalies which most people typi-
cally have. That is, your basic inner and outer conformation are almost text-
book-normal. So, preliminarily, we would estimate that your extensive sleep
schedules over the course of your life have had no deleterious& Yes& ?
Albert Slinger had just walked to Chen s side. He bent over and spoke in a low
voice which everyone could nonetheless hear, Take a look outside, sir, please.
Eh? He pushed back his chair.
Everyone moved to the windows at the side of the room. Below, five large
trucks were parked in front of the Medical Center building, topped by telescop-
ing towers thrusting antennas to the sky like giant metal daisies. Another dozen
cars were parked haphazardly around them, people milling about them. A belea-
guered half dozen campus police could be seen just outside the entrance to the
building. As they watched, two more trucks, three cars, and another two campus
police cars pulled up to add to the confusion. Two helicopters could be seen clat-
tering overhead.
Oh, nooo, sighed Darcy, stepping back from her window.
Damnation! muttered Jennings. How did those bozos find out about this?
What the hell are we going to do now?
I have an idea, if you could help for a minute, she said. They looked at her
in puzzlement. Could I borrow the video camera for a minute? Is there a map of
the campus I might have? Jennings nodded. If you could ask one of those
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policemen to step inside the first floor entrance and meet with me, I d be very
grateful.
Sergeant Dershon Morgan was a teddy bear of a man to his children a giant
teddy bear, to be sure. But when he wanted to be imposing, those he imposed on
generally took care. He emerged from the front of the Medical Center with a bull
horn and scowl on his face to scan the dozens of reporters and cameramen with
their arrays of boom microphones, cameras, lenses, notepads, earpieces, and
more. He looked at his watch several times. Finally, amid a sparkle of camera
flashes, he pressed the button on the bull horn and put it to his mouth.
Now hear this. All of you, every one of you, are on this campus without per-
mission and are subject to immediate arrest and detainment. You have five min-
utes to pack up and leave. Beginning in five minutes we will begin arresting and
cuffing all of you.
From one side of the horde came a cry, There she goes!
At the right side of the building, a small blonde person could be seen being
escorted rapidly into a waiting police car. Instantly, half the crowd rushed toward
the police car. The other half ran to their own cars or trucks and began loading
up and getting under way. The police car, lights flashing, took off down the street
leading off campus, followed by more and more cars and trucks. The police car
slowed at the entrance to the university, turned left, and sped off, with the cara-
van in pursuit.
Sergeant Morgan chuckled fiendishly at the spectacle, patting the shirt pocket
that held a blank traffic ticket with Darcy s signature on it. The dozen officers in
front of the building began dispersing the remaining reporters, spectators, and
hangers-on, some wielding cameras, cell phones with cameras, and other gadgets.
One of these, evidently a student, with a backpack, handed a video camera to the
nearest policeman. Excuse me. Would you see that Dr. Jennings, inside, gets
this back, please? Thank you.
The policeman held the camera in puzzlement as the student, apparently con-
sulting a map of the campus, turned and walked across the grass.
The gas light on the gatepost was lit, as, in the gathering darkness, Darcy
opened the gate and pressed the doorbell. Please be home, she prayed.
He was. The door opened to reveal Charles Hodge in a smoking jacket, dark
slacks, and soft leather slippers. It s a miracle! he said. The prodigal returns!
Enter, honored lady!
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Darcy had never seen a better host. He shushed any explanation until she was
comfortably seated and had a cup of hot tea before her. Dr. Hodge sipped sherry
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